Sixteenth Sunday After

Pentecost
September 20, 2009

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SIXTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST
Seasonal Emphasis: General description of Christian living in this present world
Today's General Theme: God's grace supports us in our Christian living
Mood of Service: Determined/trusting/bold

SERVICE NOTES: [This may need to be revised] Our love for God in Jesus
Christ urges us to begin living for Him, but our weak human natures aren't able to
serve Him as we ought. How can we weak and sinful human beings begin living
for God? God Himself gives us His help. His undeserved love not only provides
our salvation in Jesus Christ, it also strengthens us to live our faith. The Introit for
the One Year Series recognizes God's mercy and care and gratefully offers Him
worship and praise. The Introit for the Three Year Series turns to God and
proclaims His goodness, recognizing that He provides for His children. In the
Collect, the Church recognizes that God alone grants success, and asks Him to
guide it so as to reach its eternal goal. The Gradual proclaims the wonders of
God's nature and reminds us that everything exists to praise Him. The Verse
borrows the example of St. Paul who was told that in his weakness, God would
provide sufficient grace. The Common Preface for the Sundays after Pentecost
points to Jesus Christ Who conquered all opposition including death and gives us
the hope of everlasting life.
SPECIFIC NOTES FOR THE THREE YEAR SERIES
B. Psalm 54

Jeremiah 11:18-20
James 3:13-4:10
Mark 9:30-37
The theme of this series tells us that when we humble ourselves before God's
Word, we find true worth for our lives. The Psalmist tells us that the LORD
upholds his life. In the Old Testament Lesson, the prophet serves God and finds
himself despised by unbelievers. The Epistle tells us that God opposes the proud
but gives grace to the humble. In the Gospel, Jesus shows the quarreling disciples
what true greatness is.
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found predom. in the gospels, where it occurs in the synoptics about 70
times (about half as oft. if parallels are excluded), and in J 12 times…. In
every case the title is applied by Jesus to himself.”4
o Parse παραδίδοται? Present Active Indicative, 3rd singular of
παραδίδωμι. Why is this verb significant? (cf. Mark 10:33; 13:12;
14:10) It is a technical term of police and courts: to hand over someone
into the custody of the police or court(s).
o Parse ἀποκτενοῦσιν, ἀναστήσεται, and ἀποκτανθείς. Future
Active Indicative, 3rd plural of ἀποκτείνω; Future Middle Indicative,
3rd singular of ἀνίστημι; Aorist Passive Participle, masculine
nominative singular of ἀποκτείνω. What do these tenses in particular
relate about the message which Christ is speaking? All this will happen,
and though it is in the future, it is in the near future—soon. Plus, there
is an emphasis on the fact that Jesus will be killed (repeated twice here,
more than Matthew’s version).
• Verse 32
o What sense of the word ῥῆμα does Mark intend here? (BDAG 905.1) “—
τὸ ῥ., τὰ ῥ. oft. takes a special significance fr. the context: prophecy,
prediction Mt 26:75; Mk 9:32.”5
o Parse ἐφοβοῦντο. Imperfect PASSIVE Indicative, 3rd plural of
φοβέω. What does this tense indicate about the disciples? (cf. Mark 4:41;
5:15; 10:32) This was a persistent or on-going fear.
o How is καί best translated here? Possible more than just a conjunction—
showing emphasis: “even.”
o Parse ἐπερωτῆσαι. 1st Aorist Active Infinitive of ἐπερωτάω.
p

• Verse 33
o Capernaum has been mentioned before (Mk 1:21; 2:1; Jn 6:59). Whose
"house" was located there? (1:29; 2:15)? Simon (Peter) and Andrew’s, also
Levi’s (Matthew’s). Eventually, this became Jesus’ headquarters for
Him and His disciples. What important healing had happened there? (Mk
1:30–31) Jesus healed Simon’s mother-in-law of a fever.
o What does the meaning of διελογίζεσθε indicate regarding the type of
discussion the disciples were having? (BDAG 232.2) An argument (so also
NIV and GOD’S WORD).
o Where might this "argument" have taken place? (Mk 8:27) On the road
from Caesarea Philippi to Capernaum.
• Verse 34
o Parse διελέχθησαν. Aorist Passive Indicative, 3rd plural of
διαλέγομαι. Why does this verb have the passive form? The action of
“dialoguing” (talking through and through) apparently is viewed as
happening to the subject of the verb—not that the subject of the verb is
talking through and through TO someone, but the others are talking
through and through to the SUBJECT of the verb. Isn’t that interesting
how an argument, at least, using the Greek here, is not so much the
point WE are making in the discussion, but the points (usually negative)
that others are making TO US.
o What type of word is μείζων? A comparative adjective of μέγας. The
comparative is used here as the superlative (according to BDAG
624.4a).
• Verse 35
o Parse καθίσας. 1st Aorist Active Participle, masculine nominative
singular of καθίζω. With what important event is Jesus' "sitting" indelibly
connected? (Mt 5:1) The Sermon on the Mount.
o Parse ἔσται. Future Middle Indicative, 3rd singular of εἰμί. This verb
constitutes the protasis [sic: apodosis*] of what type of condition? Future
particular condition.
o What does δίακονος mean here? (BDAG 230.2) ② one who gets someth.
done, at the behest of a superior, assistant to someone (the context
determines whether the term, with or without the article ὁ, οἱ is used

s

ometh. = something
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inclusively of women or exclusively) Mt 20:26; 23:11; Mk 10:43; of all
9:35.6
• Verse 36
o What/who is the antecedent of αὐτῶν in the prepositional phrase, ἐν μέσῳ
αὐτῶν? “The Twelve” (τοὺς δώδεκα) v. 35.
o Parse αὐτό. Neuter Accusative Singular of αὐτός. Why is this pronoun
neuter? It refers back to the noun παιδίον “child” (BDAG 749.1b: “①
a child, normally below the age of puberty, child.”7
o Parse ἐναγκαλισάμενος. 1st Aorist Middle Participle, masculine
nominative singular of ἐναγκαλίζομαι. What does this word mean?
(cf. 10:33 [sic 10:16*]; BDAG 330) “take in one’s arms, hug τινά
someone Mk 9:36; 10:16” 8 What does this word say about Jesus? That He
is kind and tenderhearted—especially to children.
• Verse 37
o Parse δέξηται. 1st Aorist Middle Subjunctive, 3rd singular of δέχομαι.
ὅς ἄν . . . δέξηται . . . δέχεται is equivalent to what type of
conditional sentence? (Voelz 2 edn., 268–269; 3 edn., 249–250) Present
General Condition (“If … ever …, …always….”).
o Parse δέχηται. Present Middle Subjunctive, 3rd singular of δέχομαι.
ὅς ἄν . . . δέχηται . . . δέχεται is equivalent to what type of
conditional sentence? Present General Condition (“If … ever …, …
always….”).
o Parse ἀποστείλαντα. 1st Aorist Active Participle, masculine accusative
singular of ἀποστέλλω . What is the position of this participle? (Voelz
2 edn., 134–135; 3 edn., 118–121) Attributive. To whom is this participle
referring? (cf. Jn 5:36; 6:57; 10:36; 17:18; 20:21) God the Father.
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Integration of Meaning:
Why would Mark have connected these two pericopes so closely? In other words,
why connect the foretelling of Jesus' death and resurrection with the discourse on
the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Jesus demonstrates by “reverse
example” (to the world’s way of thinking) that He is going to become like a
child, “the least, an assistant” when He, as the Representative of the Whole
Human Race (“the Son of Man”) is handed over to into the custody of the
police and court(s) (“men/people”), and especially when “they” kill Him. But
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even though He’s killed, after 3 days He will show that He is the greatest of all
when He rises from the dead.
Now that you have studied this pericope, write a prayer in the form of a collect that
reflects the unique theology present in this text (LSB xxiv). Lord Jesus Christ,
You who are the greatest, King of Kings and Lord over all, save us who are
always trying to be the greatest in people’s eyes by the greatest servant event
of all, Your innocent suffering and death, so that we may be Your own and
live only under You in Your kingdom and serve You in everlasting
righteousness, innocence and blessedness, for You live and reign with the
Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, forever and ever. Amen.